Several hospitals around the country testify to a very strained situation ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays. Almost half of the country’s regions have one or more hospitals that have been forced to go into staff mode due to the increased spread of covid-19, influenza, RS virus and winter vomiting disease. Staff situation is an urgent measure which means that a special healthcare management is established.
Region Värmland has gone one step further and has entered reinforcement mode, and in Uppsala the region is now introducing mouth protection requirements for patients and visitors in healthcare.
– It is to protect patients and employees in healthcare. The number who are inside is increasing significantly and the load is very high, at least on a par with the same time last year, says Mikael Köhler, director of health and medical care.
Sickness absence is skyrocketing
Those who are hospitalized for covid-19 are mainly older people with other illnesses at the same time. Most worrying is the strain on the intensive care unit for children, where the pressure is heavy due to the RS virus.
– There, every effort requires a lot of resources.
The fact that several viruses are circulating at the same time means that sickness absence among the staff has skyrocketed. Even the regions that are not in emergency mode are warning of a strained situation, including Norrbotten and Västerbotten. Region Norrbotten now offers healthcare workers who take extra passes a special Christmas allowance.
“Preparedness to be able to take measures”
Fredrik Lennartsson, head of the department for care and care at Sweden’s municipalities and regions (SKR), points out that it is above all on the staffing side that the situation is tough.
– Sickness absence is increasing among the staff in both care and care in many areas and most regions describe the situation as strained or very strained, says Fredrik Lennartsson.
According to Lennartsson, however, you are still in a position where you judge that you can handle the situation.
– We don’t really know yet where the spread of infection is going and how sickness absence is increasing, but you have a preparedness to be able to take the measures needed to be able to maintain good care, he says.
Jan Ekman, press secretary at the National Board of Health and Welfare, writes in an email to SVT Nyheter that in principle all regions have a strained care facility situation due to the increased spread of infection – and that the National Board of Health and Welfare has prepared to support with coordination within intensive care, if necessary.